student Success 103 Test Taking Tips for Students: 4 Keys to Success

Transcription

1 ENGLISH for ACADEMIC PURPOSES ESL LEVELS 3-4 student Success 103 Test Taking Tips for Students: 4 Keys to Success Relax and feel confident. Treat every question as the most important one. Pay incredible attention to detail. Check your work carefully at the end. Vocabulary: On the lines below, write out how you prepare & study for each of these tests: Describe Contrast Compare Summarize Explain how True / False test Multiple Choice test Matching test Short Answer/fill in the blanks test Essay test TEST Choose the best answer for each question: 1. The wollygoggle is an A. mammal B. sponge C. Reptile D. insect 2. Wollygoggle eggs are often found wedged betweena. sand B. mountains C. wet rocks D. rivers 3. Wollygoggles live approximately A. 16 hours B. 8 days C. 90 days D. 2 years 4. Choose the word that best describes the wollygoggle:a. efficient B. poisonous C. Effusive D. lively 5. The wollygoggle prefers an environment that is A. hot and humid B. cool and windy C. icy cold D. warm and wet 6. Wollygoggles never eat their own eggs. A. True B. False 7. Wollygoggles always fast two days before laying eggs. A. True B. False 8. Wollygoggles rarely live near willygiggles. A. True B. False ESSAY QUESTIONS Describe the wollygoggle. Contrast the willygoggle and the wollygoggle. Summarize the life of the wollygoggle.

2 WHAT ARE SOME STUDY TIPS FOR DIFFERENT TYPES OF EXAMS? Before the Test: A. Try to guess what type of material will be on the test. To do this, pay attention to any study guides the teacher gives out. B. Take note of anything the teacher seems to emphasizing particularly. C. Make up possible questions based on this information. Then see if you can answer those questions. D. Study every day, not just the night before the test! E. Instead of cramming, be sure to get enough sleep that night, and eat a healthy breakfast to give you energy. F. Relax before the test - do some deep breathing and stretching exercises. During the Test: A. Read everything carefully! B. Be sure you understand what is being asked - raise your hand & ask teachers if you don t understand what any question is asking. C. If you really have no idea about a question, then skip that one and try again later if you have time. Here are some specific tips for different tests. Multiple Choice - first read all the choices for the question. There are usually one or two that are obviously wrong - cross out any answer (s) that you are sure will not be the answer. You will be more likely to get the question right now, even if you have to guess. Think about each answer carefully - some might be worded in "tricky" ways so that they sound correct at first, but are wrong once you read carefully. Think about any answers that are totally unfamiliar to you - they might be the wrong ones. Also think about any answers where the grammar doesn't match that of the question for the same reason. In "All of the Above" questions, if you know that even two of the choices are correct, then "all of the above" is probably the right answer. If two of the answers seem to be exact opposites, then one of the might be the correct answer. Watch for questions that state "everything EXCEPT this is true" - in this case, they are asking you to find one false statement in a set of true ones - check out the True/False tips for more hints with this one! True/False - in order to be marked true, every single part of the sentence must be true - if you find even one false part, then the answer is false. If a sentence has some sort of negative, like "Reading is not one of the three basic types of learning," then drop the negative part and decide if the sentence would be true without it - if "Reading is one of the three basic types of learning" is true, then the sentence with the negative is a false sentence. Watch for modifying words like "most," "many," or "sometimes" - these words might make a false statement into a true one, such as changing "All dogs live in families with children" to "Many dogs live in families with children." Word Problems - read through the question first to be sure you understand exactly what is being asked. Underline anything that seems to be information you will need for the problem. Jot down all the numbers, symbols, whatever that you have found. There should now be a clear mathematical formula or pathway for you - if you can't see what is needed, skip the question and come back to it later. After the Test: A. Don't just jump up and leave, or put your head on your desk for a nap! B. Read over any questions you had trouble with, and try them again C. Check your spelling and grammar D. Double-check your math E. If there is time, read over all of your answers - but only change one if you are absolutely positive that you made a mistake the first time! Post-Test Follow-Up: once you have your grade, go over the test to see where you did well and where you did poorly. Keep your old test

3 DISCOVER YOUR BEST STUDY SKILLS! Schedule regular study time. Plan at least one-hour blocks of study time. Reward yourself for using study time effectively. Try to schedule study periods before and after classes. Work on your most difficult subjects when you are most alert. Balance your activities. Keep your schedule flexible. TEST YOUR PREDICTION SKILLS! A. Using MLA format, write out what you think the topics above are about. B. You can work with a partner to complete the organized outline below. C. You will then put your ideas below into complete sentences. D. Using transitions, you will write up a 4 paragraph essay. Turn your paper into your teacher. Title: I. Introduction Paragraph II. Main Idea: Study Time Needs to Be Organized a. b. c. III.. Main Idea: How can you get everything done that needs to be done on time? a. b. c. IV. Concluding Paragraph

4 The Heart of the Matter: Regular Reading Many people believe that regular reading is the very heart of education. Here is what they say: 1 Reading provides language power. Research has shown beyond any question that frequent reading improves vocabulary, spelling, and reading speed and comprehension, as well as grammar and writing style. If you become a regular reader, all of these language and thinking abilities develop almost automatically! 2 Reading increases the chances for job success. In today's world more than ever before, jobs involve the processing of information, with words being the tools of the trade. Studies have found that the better your command of words, the more success you are likely to have. Nothing will give you a command of words like regular reading. 3 Reading creates human power. Reading enlarges the mind and the heart. It frees us from the narrow confines of our own experience. Knowing how other people view important matters helps us decide what we ourselves think and feel. Reading also helps us connect with others and realize our shared humanity. Someone once wrote, "We read in order to know that we are not alone." We become less isolated as we share the common experiences, emotions, and thoughts that make us human. We grow more sympathetic and understanding because we realize that others are like us. Regular reading can, in short, change your life. It can open the door to a lifetime of pleasure as well as learning. But you must be the one to decide whether to walk through that door. Below, write out as many ideas you have as to what you can read to practice your English: Fill up this entire box with ideas! Now, write out every single thing that may stop you from becoming a good reader: Fill up this entire box with ideas! Now, write out one thing that you will change, add, or improve as to HOW, WHERE, AND WHAT YOU WILL READ!

5 STUDY SKILL CHECKLIST Name: First make a print out of this document. Using your printout, read each statement and consider how it applies to you. If it does apply to you, check Y. If it does not apply to you, check N. The purpose of this inventory is to find out about your own study habits and attitudes. 1. Y N I spend too much time studying for what I am learning. 2. Y N I usually spend hours cramming the night before an exam. 3. Y N If I spend as much time on my social activities as I want to, I don't have enough time left to study, or when I study enough, I don't have time for a social life. 4. Y N I usually try to study with the radio and TV turned on. 5. Y N I can't sit and study for long periods of time without becoming tired or distracted. 6. Y N I go to class, but I usually doodle, daydream, or fall asleep. 7. Y N My class notes are sometimes difficult to understand later. 8. Y N I usually seem to get the wrong material into my class notes. 9. Y N I don't review my class notes periodically throughout the semester in preparation for tests. 10. Y N When I get to the end of a chapter, I can't remember what I've just read. 11. Y N I don't know how to pick out what is important in the text. 12. Y N I can't keep up with my reading assignments, and then I have to cram the night before a test. 13. Y N I lose a lot of points on essay tests even when I know the material well. 14. Y N I study enough for my test, but when I get there my mind goes blank. 15. Y N I often study in a haphazard, disorganized way under the threat of the next test. 16. Y N I often find myself getting lost in the details of reading and have trouble finding the main ideas. 17. Y N I rarely change my reading speed in response to the difficulty level of the selection. 18. Y N I often wish that I could read faster. 19. Y N When my teachers assign papers I feel so overwhelmed that I can't get started. 20. Y N I usually write my papers the night before they are due. 21. Y N I can't seem to organize my thoughts into a paper that makes sense. If you have answered "yes" to two or more questions in any category, look at our Study Skills Self-help Information for those categories. If you have one "yes" or less in a category, you are probably proficient enough in these areas that you don't need Self-help Information. Feel free, however, to get information in areas that you may have special interests, even if you scored well. Time Scheduling - 1, 2, and 3. Concentration - 4, 5, and 6. Listening & Note taking - 7, 8, and 9. Reading - 10, 11, and 12. Exams - 13, 14, and 15. Reading - 16, 17, and 18. Writing Skills -19, 20, and 21.

6 WHY HOMEWORK IS IMPORTANT 1. It improves your thinking and memory 2. It helps you develop positive study skills and habits that will help you well throughout life 3. Homework encourages you to use time wisely 4. It teaches you to work independently 5. Homework teaches you to take responsibility for your work 6. It allows you to review and practice what has been covered in class 7. It helps you to get ready for the next day s class 8. Homework helps you learn to use resources, such as libraries, reference materials, and computer Web sites to find information 9. It encourages you to explores subjects more fully than classroom time permits 10. It allows you to extend learning by applying skills to new situations 11. It helps you integrate learning by applying many different skills to a single task, such as book reports or PowerPoint presentations 12. Homework helps your family learn more about what you are learning in school 13. It allows the rest of your family to communicate about what you are learning

7 STUDY ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS The purpose of this inventory is to help you evaluate the three places you study most frequently. Begin by identifying these three locations in the blanks below. List them in the order in which you use them most frequently. Then answer each question according to whether the statement is mostly true or mostly A B C There are few distractions, such as phone, computer, or TV, in this location. Other people rarely interrupt me when I study in this location. This is a quiet location, with almost no interruptions from phones ringing, people talking or music playing. I take a limited number of breaks when I study in this environment. 5. I study here regularly during the week. 6. I tend to keep my breaks short when I study in this location. 7. I rarely talk with people when I study here. 8. The temperature in this place is very comfortable for studying most of the time. 9. The chair in this place is very conducive to studying. 10. The desk/table in this place is very conducive to studying. 11. The lighting in this place is very conducive to studying. 12. There are few things in this location that are unrelated to studying or school work. When you have answered all 12 questions, calculate the number of "True" responses you made for each of the three places where you study most frequently. The place with the highest total may provide the best environment for studying. Try to do as much of your studying in this location as possible. TOTALS: Place A Place B Place C Place A Place B Place C

8 Now it s YOUR turn! Complete the mind map below to identify a good plan for your success! Ways I can get motivated WHY should I study? Successful ways to study - Where? When? How? Some of my obstacles WHAT stops me from studying? THE SUCCESSFUL ME WHO can I practice English with? Some of my solutions to my obstacles